Understanding Government

Today’s newspapers are saturated with coverage about aviation security — yet the U.S. Senate is not likely anytime soon to hold a confirmation vote for Errol Southers, Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Transportation Security Administration. The Wall Street Journal’s Yochi J. Dreazen reports that South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint has put a “hold” on the nomination because he wants Southers to come out against the unionization of TSA employees.

Let’s be clear that the DeMint hold is the reason why the appointment has stalled. The Washington Post had front-page stories this weekend about a 20 year-old incident of Southers snooping around FBI files for dirt on his ex-wife’s new boyfriend. However, no Senator has thought to put Southers and the entire TSA in limbo over the incident (the Senate has known about it for months). The delay is purely because DeMint wants to show his anti-union bona fides.